After Daredevil: Born Again’s Charlie Cox Shed New Light On Bullseye’s Return And Jon Bernthal’s First Scene Back, I Need To Rewatch The First Four Episodes

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The long-anticipated release of Daredevil: Born Again in the 2025 TV lineup was finally confirmed in early March, and the first four episodes alone demonstrated that shifting to Disney+ didn’t diminish the razor-sharp edge of Hell’s Kitchen’s Devil as some had worried. Notably, the first season underwent a change in direction after production resumed following the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike, with Charlie Cox sharing insights about filming Matt Murdock’s initial scene with Frank Castle beforehand, only to later discover about Bullseye’s lethal premiere maneuver under the new showrunner.

A few days have passed since the premiere of the first episode of “Born Again” on Disney’s streaming service, featuring Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher. Subsequently, Charlie Cox shared insights with a bustling crowd of fans at Fan Expo Cleveland, an event I had the opportunity to attend. The revised approach to “Daredevil,” which has garnered both acclaim and controversy, underwent significant changes after considerable footage was already filmed. Originally, the plan for “Born Again” excluded Elden Henson’s Foggy and Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page entirely from the storyline.

Previously employed as a writer and producer on “The Punisher,” Dario Scardapane, now the new showrunner, advocated for the return of characters Foggy and Karen in his bid for the role. In their initial conversation, Charlie Cox revealed what topics they discussed.

In my initial meeting with Dario Scardapane, our new showrunner, who joined after the strike to refine and enhance what we had previously produced. To clarify, much of the footage shot before the strikes under the guidance of our original producers, who did an excellent job, is indeed part of the series, including the popular scene featuring Jon Bernthal that’s causing quite a buzz today.

The initial encounter between Charlie Cox as Murdock and Jon Bernthal as Castle in Born Again was the first time since Season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil. For me, it’s one of the most impactful scenes from Born Again so far. As a fan of The Punisher, I found myself hoping that Frank would mention Karen at some point during their interaction. It’s possible that this scene was originally planned before Scardapane joined with Foggy and Karen, which might explain why it felt less connected to Daredevil or The Punisher in their previous streaming series.

Without a doubt, I’d relish watching the series again from scratch after attending Cleveland Fan Expo and listening to Cox discuss his initial chat with the new showrunner! He further enlightened us about the emotionally charged opening scene in Born Again Season 1 featuring Bullseye, which culminated in Foggy’s tragic demise mere minutes into the season.

Dario and I discussed work on our way back, with him planning to script some fresh episodes. He shared his idea for a scene involving Bullseye, and we exchanged thoughts about it. During our conversation, he proposed the concept that throughout the scene, his character would hear a heartbeat. This idea emerged from our initial discussion, and as we parted ways, I recall saying something like, “That’s a great idea.

In the Netflix series, Matt Murdock consistently resisted killing, criticizing Frank for his readiness to kill, and battling his strongest impulses. This resistance almost led him to kill Bullseye at the start of “Born Again,” but it wasn’t because moving to Disney+ transformed Daredevil into an indiscriminate killer. Instead, after Foggy’s heart stopped beating, Matt lost control and snapped, which intensified the entire fight scene with Bullseye as he grew more desperate, hearing Foggy’s heartbeat echoing in his mind during the confrontation.

Charlie Cox revealed that he enjoys scenes where Matt gets angry, and only Bullseye’s skeletal enhancements prevented Matt from taking his own life at the end of Season 3 on Netflix’s Daredevil. I’ve been hesitant to rewatch the opening of Born Again due to the rapid loss of Foggy, but Cox’s comments have me considering it now.

Luckily, the first season of “Daredevil: Born Again” hasn’t yet reached its midpoint, which means there are numerous episodes left for us to enjoy. The question remains whether Bullseye will reappear following his fall from a building rooftop, and if Foggy makes an appearance, it would likely be in the form of flashbacks, dreams, or illusions unless his death was staged.

Expect to see more of Jon Bernthal and Deborah Ann Woll regularly, so don’t forget to tune in to Disney+ every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET for the latest episodes. I’m hoping for a scene involving Charlie Cox, Woll, and Bernthal in future episodes of The Punisher, as it remains unclear whether Matt knew about Karen’s dealings with Frank, which could lead to some intense or humorous interactions.

By the close of Episode 4, Matt’s immediate challenges could revolve around Fisk reverting to his Kingpin persona, the artist who appears to be creating works with the blood of slain New Yorkers, and his personal yearning to resume his position as the Hell’s Kitchen Devil.

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2025-03-23 13:37